Komets tie it up

Gratz to Chaulk with the assist on their game winning goal.

I still don't understand why there is no hitting on home ice it is probably the qorat hockey i have seen in yers and we keep getting smaller guys what are they thinking ?

Look this club can't even pass the puck with any kind of efficancy, their effort throw body checks has dwindled into nothing, and the management has chosen not to change the culture of the hockey club. Chaulk has a horrible turnover that leads to game winning goal and 4 mins in studpid penalties. They organization has chosen to go with what is on the ice so unless they play out of this slump I am afraid the results of late will become a common

I don't get too many games anymore..just keep up online and radio. My question is.Sgriffith pointed out that this team can't even pass the puck with efficiency...that seems to be the truth...the question is from sept~Jan this team could play hard and dominate and did so often on the road...they were never a top of the standings team but they hers their own and were on the road to being a playoff contender...so what has changed since then to cause such a pronounced decline...to go from being a competitive team most nights..to making such dumb mistakes? They obviously know whats to win....so what the heck made them fall apart? Frustrating and starting to get deriding.

Sorry about the multiple spelling and grammar errors in my previous post. Frustrating and depressing. What it takes to win. I don't get to too many games. There are a few corrections. I think I am just too bummed out to be trying to type tonight.

Some basic things have changed

1. Losing Auger was huge because he could score and make you better all over the ice. Even though  you went and got Beauregard, Auger can do it all.

2. Losing Chaulk for 33 games was monumental, and for most of those he wasn't even around the team. He's the guy who holds everyone one else accountable and makes them do what they are supposed to.

3. I think they thought/hoped/whatever they were getting two defensemen from Norfolk/Anaheim. When did they look their best? When Guentzel and Schaus were around.  Most of the time, they've been sitting in Norfolk.

4. Losing Maggio was big, though maybe not everyone realized it at the time. Suddenly you had to rely on Nycholat, Kishel and Wheeler to play major minutes as smaller, inexperienced rookies. Since he got called up, the defense has fallen apart.

5. Losing Reiter was bigger.

That's five legitimate, high-caliber ECHL players they took out of the lineup for whatever reason and could not replace. They never had the depth to deal with that.

Not excuses because every team went through that this year, but it is reality. This last stretch they didn't have any of those five players and they couldn't handle it. Should they have been able to? Maybe if the defensemen had improved significantly during the year, if Rizk stays hot, if Giosa was able to find consistency after his injury, etc., but losing Maggio and not getting Schaus/Guentzel on a more permanent basis was critical more than anything. That's a top 2 defensive pairing in this league that the Komets can't replace.

Thanks for the quick response Blake. Alot of that makes sense...I almost wish it was just a case of lazy play or dumb mistakes...those would at least be possible to fix. So it sounds like we are what we are...for the remainder of the season. I won't stop being a fan or stop listening to the games....but sure would like to feel pumped and excited after a game at least a few more times...come on Komets!!# Tomorrow night will be the beginning of a new streak. I hope and pray!

Oh, there's plenty of that, too. There's just a lot less room for error, and it's killing them.

What I don't understand why they haven't made changes as the year went on. Everyday in the ECHL there are numerous trades etc. We seem not to engage in the trade market. I understand you have to have patience with certain players. Honestly I have never seen a defensive group look so bad in a K's uniform and the lack of size is completely unbelievable. Look giving effort and showing hustle is one thing but the bottom line is to be productive and when you can't be productive it is time to make changes. The definition of insanity to continue to do the same thing over and over but expect different results right now that fits the K's situation

Wow, another weak (and boring) game. It looked like a team full of rookies out there with all the mistakes going on. I gotta agree with Blake on everything he pointed out. I really miss Auger too. That kid was all around impressive.

I wish these guys would start hitting/checking like every team we play does. It's pretty bad when Marino is getting pounded on all over the ice and none of his team mates defend him or help him out (except for a few hugs from Syro after the whistle). And I really thought Schrock would've came out swinging after that hit he took.

I'm not even sure at this point if the team cares if they make the playoffs or not.

Most of those are from affiliated players. Where are they supposed to go to get these new players? A lot of the movement is AHL teams calling up players from the ECHL who are not on their affiliates, such as with Maggio. If you can't find something better, you're stuck with what you've got. There isn't anywhere else to go to find these ``bigger'' players. The bigger players are all on affiliated contracts.

I think the Komets have to find a way to do a beter job in the summer looking for bigger rookies.  That's really their only option.

I know they caught a lot of crap over the visa thing, but it is true. In the CHL, you could sign a player and then take two weeks to get their immigration papers figured out while they played. In the ECHL, you have to have the papers figured out before they can play, and it's a two-week process. If you move ECHL team to ECHL team, you also have to start the process for new papers, you can't use the visa from the previous team. That's why the Komets tried to call up guys from their training camps or Americans. That's a bear of a rule to get around.

It's also an example of how the league bends over backwards to help affiliated teams and it's tougher for indepenent teams.

Lol....no mention of the Norfolk forwards who could actually score goals, were big enough to compete in the corners and in front of the net, could pass the puck efficiently AND got into the defenseive zone a lot more than Syro is now.... 

Syro gets a pass though...  He's a returning "Komet"..... 

Yeah, they were fully capable JR, they just wouldnt' do it. That was the problem. They could get into the opponent's defensive zone, they just needed to stop at the bench for directions to get back to their own defensive zone. And then they'd get lost before they got to the blue line. Elkins was great, but he was going to Europe.

I'm really wondering where all these ``great'' Anaheim younger players are that they had stocked up last summer with no where to play. I can't believe some of these guys were ever drafted.

But you leave out that the Komets were winning, competitive most nights and were in the playoff hunt...  All of the sudden, all those talented players are gone and the Komets start losing with regularity...no hitting....little scoring....a ton slower.....etc...

With Norfolk players equaled playoff spot.....

Without them equals losing streak and pitiful play.....

Yep, its all the Norfolk forwards faults...

They suck. End of story. They were locker room cancers, in the community cancers, they were plain old jerks, the likes of which I had never seen in 23 years covering this team.

They are just bad people. Good for the Frankes for not putting up with them. Deal with it.

Good night.

You may not have liked them Blake; but that doe not mean they sucked....

Have any other "bad people" (your words, not mine) worn a Komets jersey?  I know several answers to this question, none of which I will share here...

Any type of cancer has to be dealt with. If not eventually it will take over. When it comes to cancer cut cut cut.

Most of the other cancers that i know of were eventually dealt with once they were discovered.

JR, I don't dispute that there were some good players sent here.  Brittain, Caputi, Lashe, Elkins, Guenzel (sp) and Shauss (sp).  I think the problem was getting them to consistently play hard and be engaged, and also bringing good attitudes.  It sucks to be sent down.  Not disputing that.  But in life I think it's how you react to a undesirable situation.  These guys have more ability than "our" guys.  That's why they made it.  But some (most) nights it was obvious they didn't wanna be here or were more consumed with offensive numbers rather than defensively helping.  Now, that said, I think we probably hold them to a higher standard, and it's probably fair in some ways seeing that they are supposed to be so much better.  I would also add, that "our" guys have looked very disinterested for some time now.  Many of our guys have not gotten it done.  Including a certain fan favorite.  Here's my take:  I think at some point this team lost it's identity and desire to play.  Whether it's coaching or poor character or any number of other causes, this team just doesn't compete like it did earlier in the season.  It's a shame.   I think this team seems lost out there and at this point I have no hope of playoffs.  17 games left, 8 points out.  We need to go 13-4 probably to get in.  That is just not gonna happen.  

I'm not paying my my down payment for next season. That is ridiculous!

Cool to see that Blake is toeing the company (ie Franke) line with his bashing of the Norfolk players. If I was an NHL team, there's no way in Hades I'd affiliate with the K's in the future knowing the players in my system would be treated like CRAP by management & the media in Fort Wayne. It's also easy & oh so classy to place the blame on players who aren't even here anymore.

Also Blake, I'm sure that the Frankes & Sproat will be disappointed in you for using the word "suck". It is on the naughty list. Go wash your mouth out with soap.

(Instead of "Deal with it. Good night." I think "Sebring, out!" would be a much catchier sign-off, since Blake seems to like to run when people challenge his opinions.) 

There have been plenty of "our players" who were jerks over the years, horrible people who were horrible to the fans. For instance, there was a very popular tough guy a few years back who would routinely make fun of a mentally disabled fan on his Facebook. But that's okay cause he was "ours". /sarcasm